Ribbon cable



y 10, 1951 J. KRUITHOF ETAL 2,559,642

RIBBON CABLE Filed April 19, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llll IHI FIG. 1 F|G.2FIG?) INVENTOR JOKOB 109w THOF N/IRl/VUS J'OCHEM ATTORNEY July 10, 1951J. KRUITHOF ET AL 2,559,642

' RIBBON CABLE Filed April 19, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 FIG. 5

ATTORNEY Patented July 10, 1951 RIBBON CABLE Jakob Kruithof and MarinusJochem, Antwerp, Belgium, assignors to International Standard ElectricCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationApril 19, 1947 Serial No. 742,703 In the Netherlands February 28, 1944Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires February 28,1964 1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to an electrical cable and more in particular to aribbon cable comprising a textile weave that separates and insulatesmetallic wires, which at predetermined points are uncovered to formsoldering points.

Ribbon-type cable with metal wire warp and textile weft is well knownand especially in the field of tele-communication where it is used forsuch purposes as establishing multiple connections between various typesof switches and selector systems.

The drawback of the known methods of manufacturing such cables is thatit is not possible to cut the cable in such a way as to separate thegroups of conductors without cutting, at the same time, the textileweft.

Moreover, it is not possible to remove a defective section and replaceit by a new one without cutting the textile weft. Unless specialprecautions are taken, such as impregnating the part to be cut with asuitable composition the weft will unravel with time leaving the wiresdevoid of insulation and liable to make unwanted contact.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide ameans whereby a ribbon cable with metal wire warp and textile weft canbe woven in such a way as to be free from the above-mentioned defects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the ribboncable between any two sections can be removed without any possibilityfor the cable to unravel and a defective section can be replaced by anew one.

It will be seen that the arrangement of the invention provides a veryeifective and eflicient arrangement for making quick repairs to anydamaged section or sections with the result that the repaired sectioncompares with that of the original cable, and for a better understandingof the invention, preferred embodiments of this arrangement areillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a surface view of a conventional ribbon cable containing twogroups of wire systems.

Fig. 2 is a surface view of a ribbon cable according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a surface view of a ribbon cable according to the inventionwith one section cut out.

Fig. 4 is a surface view of a conventional ribbon cable containing threegroups of wire systems.

Fig. 5 is a surface view of a ribbon cable according to the invention,containing three groups of wire systems.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, assume that a ribbon cableH] of Fig. 1, which is a conventional disclosure for comparativeexample, is used to interconnect several pieces of electrical apparatusand that a conductor 1 l connects a terminal in one piece of apparatusto a similar terminal in 9, remotely located apparatus by an externalconductor bonded to a soldering point I2 for the first apparatus and asimilar soldering point on the conductor II at a remote point. Atpredetermined lengths along the conductor II a small portion of theconductor is bared to provide intermediate soldering points such asshown at E3 inFig. l.

The terminals of a particular piece of apparatus are connected to agroup or section, as shown in Fig. 1, at soldering points l2, 12A, IZB,62C and l2D. A second group of soldering points l4, MA, MB, MC and [4Dmay be used for interconnecting apparatus of another system.

When such a cable is designed to accommodate different groups ofconnections, it is not possible to remove a section of the cable betweentwo sets of soldering points without cutting the textile weft 2 l Withthe arrangement shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to cut a cable andremove one or several sections or patterns and replace them by newsections. Self-edged slots I5, according to the invention, are providedin the webbing between the groups of soldering points 16 and I7. Thecable is divided into sections, each section having a sufficient numberof conductors in the group for the particular apparatus to be connected.The length of cable between two such sections is woven in such a way asto leave the slot or open ing l5 between the two innermost conductors ofthe adjacent groups of conductors. Any section can now be easily removedand replaced without any possibility for the textile weft to unravel,since it is not necessary to cut the weft.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show cables designed to accommodate two separate setsof soldering points. The same arrangement may be applied to cablesdesigned to connect three or more groups of soldering points.

A conventional cable with three sets of soldering points l8, l9, and 20is shown in Fig, 4. An equivalent cable incorporating the novelty of theinvention is shown in Fig. 5, in which it will be seen that a section ofthe cable may be removed and replaced leaving the rest of the sectionsof the cable intact.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the ribbon-type cable has amultiplicity of longitudinally extending conductors which are spacedfrom one another by a thread-like insulating material. A textile threadis specifically mentioned in the present case but it is to be understoodthat any thread-like material may be used providing it has electricalinsulating qualities.

The cable has Lin-insulated portions at predetermined points and thetextile insulating material binds the conductors together but leavesexposed portions so that the cable conductors may be severed withoutcutting or otherwise multilating' the textile securing means. Theelongated slot [5 is disposed adjacent the uninsulated portions of theconductors. In this manner the conductors may be cut at theiruninsulated portions and one section of cable may be removed and anothersection inserted in the event there is a defect in the section of thecable to be removed.

While the cable may have uninsulated portions thereof, the cableactually may be made up of sections with the conductor ends of eachsection secured to the conductor ends of the adjacent cable section. Theconductors in the various cable sections may be soldered together, orclips or sleeves may be employed for securing the cable sectionstogether.

While specific details of the invention have been herein shown anddescribed, the invention is not confined thereto as changes andalterations may be and may become apparent to those skilled in the artWithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be se- 3:;

cured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A ribbon cable that comprises a plurality of coplanar parallel wiresarranged in two laterally spaced groups, one group being in each half of1?. the cable, insulation around and along the wires maintaining them insaid relationship, said insulation having a series of slot-like openingsformed therein exposing portions of each of said wires, said openingslaterally communicating with each other and being longitudinallydisplaced relative to each other whereby they collectively define anopening extending obliquely in the insulation across each half of thecable, said obliquely extending openings being longitudinally displacedwhereby no continuous series of openings is presented extending from oneto the other edge of the cable, and longitudinally extending centrallylocated slots in the cable insulation connecting successive obliquelyextending openings in opposite halves of the cable, whereby the cablecan be severed by severing all of said wires at said exposed portionswithout mutilating the insulating material.

JAKOB KRUITHOF. MARINUS JOCHEM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,054,784 McBerty Mar. 4, 19131,104,061 McBerty July 21, 1914 2,433,346 Deakin Dec. 30, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 3,980 Great Britain July 22, 1912 of 1912260,951 Great Britain Jan. 27, 1927 386,047 Germany Dec. 1, 1923

